1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a configuration output system for use with a building automation system. In particular, the invention relates to a configuration output system for generating a plurality of types of outputs for a configured building automation system.
2. Background Information
Building automation systems automate control of building systems and networks such as security, fire, hazard prevention, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) or other control systems for buildings. For example, a building automation system includes controllers, sensors, actuators, chillers, fans, humidifiers, and/or air handling units that are positioned in the building and configured to provide a desired environment for the building or portion thereof. The components may be deployed individually or as groups. For example, a temperature sensor or thermostat positioned in a room provides a temperature reading or signal to a controller, and the controller generates a control signal for an actuator located in the room to effect changes in heating and/or cooling of the room.
Current building automation systems are manually designed, engineered and/or configured. A component or groups of components are individually and manually identified according to a specification or perceived needs for a building or particular areas of the building. Once a component or groups of components is identified, other components that may be necessary for the proper operation of the identified components within the system must also be manually and individually identified. For example, a building having a humidifier will also require a humidity sensor to provide feedback control for the humidifier. Once a building automation system is designed and its components identified, system plans may be developed, a list of components created, and an estimate calculated. However, manual configuration is labor-intensive, time-consuming and prone to errors. Estimates also may be inaccurate which may result in a delay in the fulfillment of the system.
The manual configuration further provides complications with preparation of the configured system plans. Based on discussions with customers and building specifications, designers prepare pre-rendered drawings that show a suitable building automation system plan for approval or review by other designers and/or customers. Designers also prepare documents that explain or summarize the configured system plans and estimated cost. These drawings and documents are stored in a computer, such as a designer's personal computer. When designers need to design a new building automation system for a specific building, they may be able to use the pre-rendered drawings and documents as their own database or library. Based on specifications of the building, designers search for the closest matching pre-rendered drawings and documents among the existing database. Upon finding of the drawings and documents, designers modify the closest-matching drawings to reflect differences and uniqueness of the specifications relative to the design contained in the closest-matching drawings.
For this reason, designers often maintain and organize a few hundreds or thousands pre-rendered drawings and documents. The pre-rendered drawings and documents occupy a significant part of storage space of a designers' computer. Further, it is time-consuming and difficult to find the closest-matching drawings and documents. Designers may not be able to memorize which drawings and documents represent the building automation system for which they search. Even if designers find the closest-matching drawings and documents, they make manual modifications. Even if designers newly create drawings and documents for the current specifications, they often desire or need to change or modify the configured system plans. For instance, when designers change one end device of the configured system, they are often required to find several drawings and documents and make manual modifications thereto. Manual modification is prone to errors and is not cost effective. Further, the manual modification tends to limit the number of permutations designers can provide to customers.